This invention relates to a tipping assembly for an elongate smoking article such as a cigarette in which the tipping assembly is provided with ventilation means adapted to provide a flow of ventilating air to the smoker's mouth.
Examples of such tipping assemblies, especially in relation to cigarettes, are described in our published British patent application No. 2090117A. In application 2090117A there is described a tipping assembly comprising a ventilated tipping wrapper surrounding a cylindrical plug element but spaced therefrom by spacing means which define channels extending to the mouth end of the tipping assembly, the channels communicating with the ventilated regions of the tipping wrapper. The spacing means is typically a sheet of plug wrapper, or similar material, which has longitudinal channels cut in it to provide the defined channels referred to above.
The tipping assembly of 2090117A will hereinafter be referred to as: "of the type described". Advantages of this manner of ventilation are set out in detail in application 2090117A which is incorporated herein by reference.
The tipping assembly of the type described is efficient in production and use. However, if it is desired to change the ventilation requirements of the assembly it may be necessary to prepare and load into the filter making machine a new reel of channelled plug wrap material. The design and manufacture of such a new reel of plug wrap material is time-consuming and expensive, especially if the changed ventilation requirements are needed only for a short production run.